


Oh Christmas Tree

by lesdeuxarbres



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Roxanna lives!, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 10:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18547636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesdeuxarbres/pseuds/lesdeuxarbres
Summary: Henrik babysits Emma Naylor while Jac and Sacha do some Christmas shopping





	Oh Christmas Tree

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in Christmas 2018. I originally wrote this for a Tumblr Christmas fic challenge but I never got around to finishing it until now.
> 
> In this universe, Roxanna lives, Henrik has returned to his post as CEO and they have started a relationship.

Roxanna tries not to laugh at the sight, as she enters the CEO office of Holby City Hospital.

Said CEO of hospital looks up at her from where he is seated on the floor with Emma Naylor. His expression is sombre, akin to a soldier who been fighting an endless war. It's as though his spirit had been besieged and he had finally lost both the battle and the war.

Roxanna fights to keep her expression neutral. "Hello, Henrik. Hello, Emma. You two look like you're having fun."

An array of Christmas decorations surrounds them. The type intended for a Christmas tree. This year, Emma appears to have chosen Henrik Hanssen to be her Christmas tree, and he has been draped with multiple layers of tinsel. Emma was the in the process of weaving tiny stars into Henrik curly hair. Henrik winces every time Emma tugs on his hair carelessly as she ties the stars into his strands.

“Oh yes!! If I attach the angel to a party hat, I can put it on your head, Mr Hanssen, like the top of Christmas Tree.”

Henrik looks horrified at the prospect and opens his mouth to protest, but he makes one crucial error in judgement. He looks down at his tiny foe and into her bright blue eyes. Her joy and enthusiasm are written all over her perfectly round, baby face.

All of his protestations are lost in an instant, and all of his remaining will power too, as Henrik finds himself nodding in agreement with his tiny tyrant. His horrified expression melting into a kind smile. Emma looks as if she is going to burst with excitement.

“Roxanna, do you mind closing the door, please.” Henrik definitely doesn't want anyone seeing him in his weakened state.

Roxanna's eyes are dancing with laughter, but she at least has paid him the courtesy of not laughing in his face.

“Of course, darling.”

She plops herself down beside him after she locks the door. Roxanna leans over to press a kiss his cheek, and she nuzzles the skin a little before whispering into his ear, “I'm definitely taking a photo of this later.” She clasps their hands together tightly.

Henrik glares at her and shakes his head stubbornly. “Absolutely not!” He tries to keep his voice low but fails in keeping low enough for Emma's sensitive ears.

Emma looks up at him startled as his harsh tone.

Roxanna pats her shoulder soothingly, "It's OK sweetheart, I think you just pulled on his hair too tightly."

Emma seems to be appeased by this explanation. It helps that she has always liked Roxanna. Roxanna was a frequent visitor to Sacha's office when Emma spent time in the hospital during her mother's recovery. She, herself had still been in hospital recovering her own ordeal.

It's not something Roxanna would generally do. Actively seeking out the loved ones of her patients. But Jac Naylor was no ordinary patient and Roxanna had felt compelled to get to know the surgeon's young daughter.

Emma returns to her tinsel arrangement with gusto, reminding Roxanna a little of an artist putting the final touches on a work of art. It's impossible not to be moved. Roxanna knows how much of a terror Emma can be, so she's a little relieved she's not giving Henrik a hard time today. Not that Henrik would even notice, Emma has him completely wrapped around her finger.

The little girl had found herself in the care of Holby City's CEO while her mother and Sacha had ducked away to squeeze in some last minute shopping for Emma before the work hospital Christmas party.

The staff Christmas party is something a lot of the staff have been looking forward to. Some cheer to end a mostly harrowing year for them all. Every tiny spark of happiness needed to be cherished and savoured.

Emma pulls out a party hat from the box of decorations and the Christmas tree angle and holds it up to Roxanna. "Can you help me, Roxanna?" Looking down at the precious face of Emma Naylor, tugs at Roxanna's heart. She's a living, breathing reminder of how close Jac had come to death. Lately, though, Roxanna has found her to a reminder of something else. Of a missed opportunity in her own life. She and David were far to committed work, and never made the time to plan for children.

When Roxanna had finally decided it was something she had wanted, it was too late. David had been a point in his career where he did not think he could've devoted himself to parenthood with the same in the same way he had devoted himself to medicine or even to Roxanna

Roxanna helps Emma thread the angel through the party hat and tape it down at an angle so that it won't hurt Henrik's head. Emma is positively bubbling with excitement at the finished result.

"What do you think, Roxanna?", Emma stands tall and proud next to the downtrodden CEO of Holby City Hospital. She smiles brightly at the little girl and nods her approval.

"I think you've done a wonderful job, Emma. Henrik is certainly the finest Christmas Tree I've ever seen." Without missing a beat, she pulls out her phone and snaps half a dozen pictures of the two of them together. Emma bounces happily in the photograph, as Henrik refuses to crack a smile.

Henrik waits until Emma's back is turned before scowling at her, his forehead wrinkled disapprovingly. Roxanna smirks merely as she sits down in front of him and leans forward to kiss him soundly on the lips.

"You can't be angry at me, my love. You allowed her free reign." Roxanna murmurs against his mouth. Henrik sighs dramatically at her as he steals another kiss.

"Emma, I think your mother should be back soon. Shall we pack away all the decorations?" There is a hopeful edge to Henrik's voice. Roxanna knows he is praying, Emma has had her fill with fun and won't put up much of a fight. Roxanna hears Henrik breath a quiet sigh of relief as his afternoon obedience to his leader is rewarded with benevolence.

"OK.", Emma says amenably and starts to pack away all of the decorations. Roxanna begins to help Henrik untangle himself from the multitude of layers of tinsel Emma has half-buried him under.

They were down to removing the tiny stars from Henrik's hair when there is a knock at the door.

"Come in." Henrik's gruff tone gives nothing away about his current dishevelled state. Sacha enters the office and stops short at the sight of Henrik on the floor.

"Uncle Sacha!", a small bundle of energy catapults itself into Sacha's legs.

"Hello, Emma. Have you been behaving this afternoon?" He picks up the little girl and nestles her in his arms.

"Oh yes! Henrik and I have been playing the Christmas decorations. We decorated him into a tree." Sacha cannot hide the mirth on his expression as Emma babbles away in his arms.

Henrik's hair is finally free of Emma ministrations, and he stands immediately to straighten his suit, trying to reclaim his bruised ego.

"Please tell me you got a photo?", Sacha whispers to her gleefully, and Roxanna nods silently as Sacha lets out a loud hearty chuckle.

Henrik comes to stand close beside her, and she feels his arm touch her lightly on the back. Public affection was still tentative and experimental between them. The light pressure fills her with a warmth that is becoming more familiar and welcome.

"How did you and Jac fare on your mission today?" Henrik was careful with his words, not wanting Emma to realise her mother and uncle had been purchasing her gifts from Santa.

"Very well. We think the young lady in question will be satisfied with the choices." Sacha bounces Emma in his arms and throws into the air as she giggles with delight.

"No doubt if she isn't, she'll certainly let you know about."

"No doubt she will.", Sacha laughs as he catches Emma in his arms. "Come on you, we got to get you to your dad's, so your mum and I can make it to the Christmas party. Say bye to Henrik and Roxanna."

Emma says her farewells and even gives them both a kiss before she and Sacha leave.

Roxanna waits until the door is safely closed before turning to Henrik, "She's quite the handful, isn't she?"

He pulls her in close and drops a kiss to her forehead, "She has her mother's quality about her. She knows what she wants and how to get it."

Roxanna smirks, "She certainly knows how to get it from _you_."

Henrik chuckles quietly as he holds her close, "Today was a good day. I think we all need a lot more good days."

"I couldn't agree more." Roxanna squeezes him tightly and presses a kiss to his cheek.

"The day is not over yet though, Mr Hanssen. Come on let's get going to this Christmas party......the hospital CEO has promised to dance the night away with me."

Henrik chuckles as he lets Roxanna lead him onwards, not just to a pleasant evening tonight. But to a better tomorrow and a more hopeful future for the two of them.


End file.
